“Why were you talking to Avis?”
“Don’t sound so suspicious. She wanted to ask me about the festival next weekend. When it got out that I used to handle all sorts of, well, details for people—”
“Famous people.”
“Hey, I didn’t tell her that, but she asked me a ton of questions, and what was I supposed to do? Lie?”
“Absolutely.”
“Dylan!”
“Liza,” he retorted mockingly, though wearily.
“Anyway, I ran into her in town yesterday and we got to talking about this booth she wants to have at the festival. Oh, now don’t groan and whine.”
“I’m not whining.” He couldn’t lie about the groan.
“Anyway, she started telling me about these three birds she’d been called on to rescue, and was worried half to death that she couldn’t leave, what with all the last-minute festival planning going on. I’d have offered to help with the birds, except I don’t know the first thing about handling them. But I do know how to—”
“Oh no.”
There was a pause, then a little sound of indignation. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh no, that was definitely a something. You know Dylan, I thought you wanted me to stay.”
“I did. Do. But—”
“But what? Did you want me to stay hidden away, too? You know, I’m not here simply for your private pleasure.”
“I know that.” Although his body leaped at the very idea. “It’s just that—”
“If I’m going to be here, then I need to be part of the action. I’m no good at sitting still.”
“That I understand, but that doesn’t mean you have to take charge of the whole town. You’ve been here less than a week.”
She laughed. “What, afraid I’ll run for sheriff?”
He laughed hoarsely, then said, “You’re not, are you?” He was only half kidding.
“No. I’m not cut out for law enforcement. And I’m not running your town, although I have talked to several members of the city council and you know, you could really stand—”
“Stop. Just stop. What are you doing talking to the city council?”
“Avis was telling me about a slight zoning issue they were having with this one particular idea her ladies auxiliary had come up with for the festival.”
“It’s next week. Isn’t it a little late for—”
Liza just laughed. “Honey, it’s never too late.”
Dylan let his forehead drop to the stack of folders on his desk. He thought about thumping it against them several times, but figured he was past beating any sense into himself. He blew out a long sigh. “When is Pearl and her posse getting back to town?”
Liza snickered. “Probably not until ten or so tonight, Sheriff. Why?”
“I just figured there had to be a silver lining to this whole situation somewhere. I’m out of here in another hour. Would you like to come up for some dinner?” He thought about offering her the option of going out somewhere, but he wasn’t up to sharing her with the town just yet. Not that she hadn’t shared plenty of herself with them already, apparently, but he figured they could both use a break from running the town. And he still had this urge to drag her to his cave.
“Dinner sounds nice. As long as you promise to grill only the steaks and not me for getting involved.”
“I’ll try.”
“I’ll just distract you if you don’t.”
Damn if that didn’t make him smile. “I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
“I’ll pick you up,” she said. “Pearl is in the fed-mobile, so I’ve got my car. I’ve got to meet—”
“I’ll pick you up. I have to keep my truck with me. Given our luck, I’ll be called out on something or another and I’m not riding to the scene in your little hot rod.” Besides which, she was not going to run this evening the way she’d apparently run everything and everyone else today.
“Fine, fine, you can pick me up.” There was a pause, then she asked in a sultry little voice, “Will you let me play with your siren on the way home?”
Dylan swallowed, his throat suddenly dry despite the grin threatening. “You’re already pushing enough buttons, don’t you think?”
Her laugh was deep and throaty. “Oh, I haven’t even begun yet. And you’re the last one who can talk about being a button pusher.”
His lips curved. “I’ll be there by six.”
“Pick me up at the firehouse. I’ve got to talk with Tucker about getting approval for—”
“Stop. I don’t even want to know. I’ll see you there at six, or before, if I can get out of here early.”
“Don’t forget the handcuffs. It’s my turn tonight.”
His body went from leaping at suggestive ideas to rock solid arousal, even as the dial tone hummed in his ear. But he was smiling as he clicked the receiver back onto the base and pushed his chair back. “Oh no,” he murmured, “you’ve done quite enough supervising today. Tonight you’re mine.”
16
LIZA PULLED INTO Dylan’s driveway behind him, careful to hide her satisfied smile when he glanced in his rearview mirror. It wouldn’t do to be too smug. “Try and control this evening, buster,” she murmured. Actually, she’d fully intended to ride up the mountain with him as planned, until he’d pulled into the firehouse. She already knew Tucker and Dylan were adversaries, of sorts, but it was almost comical watching Dylan trying not to care that Tucker was all but fawning over her. Liza had already set Tucker straight on her unavailable status earlier, so she’d known even before he sent her a private wink that he was merely giving Dylan a go. Still, it had been fun to watch.
Fun and a little unsettling. Not because it worried her that Dylan was taking their fling too seriously. But because she rather liked the way he snorted and pawed at the ground, defending what he saw as his territory, figuratively speaking. Well, for the most part.
What would it be like to have someone like Dylan trying to run roughshod over her all the time, telling her what was best for her, taming her wilder instincts? Well, not all her wild instincts, she thought with a private smile as she put the emergency brake on and climbed out of the car. She was pretty sure he enjoyed some of her wilder, more basic instincts. Only in private.
She hummed under her breath, thinking it might be fun to shake up the town sheriff a bit, bring those wild instincts of his out in the open. It should annoy her the way he wanted to tuck her away, make her take some time for herself. As if he knew what was best for her. She could certainly determine when she wanted that time and how to spend it when she did.
Of course, if she’d been all that good at it, she wouldn’t have closed up shop and headed into the desert. So maybe he did have a tiny point. And despite his bossy, domineering ways, she had to admit she enjoyed being with him. Even when he was at his most dominating. Sometimes especially when he was dominating, she thought, feeling her skin begin to heat up.
He walked toward her and her gaze shifted to his waistband, where she knew he’d tucked those silver bracelets. She felt a tiny shudder of anticipation run through her at the idea of him taking charge of her the way he had the last time she was up here. But she carefully stoked that anticipation in another direction. Tuck her away he might, but tonight she was going to be in charge of whatever private pleasures he had in mind.
Which was why she’d driven up herself. Best he learn right off that she wasn’t going to be a pushover where their relationship was concerned.
Relationship. Another little thrill shot down her spine at the idea that she’d committed to spending several months in Canyon Springs. She intended to keep her commitment to Pearl, though she knew Pearl would be fine without her. And to Avis and her ladies club, who’d asked her to help them out with some organizational problems they were having. And then there was the emergency town council meeting tomorrow night that Tucker had told her about, where she should be able to address the auxiliary’s concerns, as well as some the Rotary Club had asked her about after hearing her suggestions to the ladies group.
She hadn’t told Dylan about that last part yet. Not that she had to report to him, but since he was going to be at the meeting, she figured it might behoove her to give him a heads-up…that is, if she wanted to keep the opportunity open for some head from him later!
That naughty little thought gave her a naughty little grin, which she kept as she strolled right up to him and slid her arms around his neck. No point in letting him get the upper hand. Or the lower one, she decided, and drew her tongue from the center of his chin up to his bottom lip, which she pulled into her mouth before he could do anything about it. He started to move back, so she inched her fingernails into his hair, raking them lightly over his scalp, and was rewarded with a deep groan. Which she naturally took full advantage of, sliding her tongue in his mouth, teasing his, until he forgot all about controlling anything and let her have her way with him.
When he finally lifted his head, they were both a bit flushed and breathing heavily. “My, my, Sheriff Jackson,” she said, striving for casual playfulness, which was a challenge, considering that she wanted to throw him across the hood of her car and straddle him right then and there. “A girl would think you were starving for a bit of attention. You know, you don’t have to drag me all the way up here to have your way with me.”